Energy

Sharp Solar

Building name recognition in a new market.

Background / Challenge Sharp Solar is the solar division of Sharp Electronics Corporation. When we began working with them, Sharp Solar was the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels, with roughly 26% of global production in 2005. Consumer demand for residential solar systems was still in its infancy but growing, due to an increasingly positive regulatory environment favoring green technologies and new financial incentives offered by the Federal and state governments.

Strategic Insights Although Sharp Solar was the market leader, their position was based on supply-side strategies. With the changing landscape moving toward the demand side, Sharp was challenged with creating name recognition and consumer pull-through in a market they had never significantly addressed.

BrandingBusiness set out to help Sharp Solar define a brand position and marketing strategies that would address both the B2B and B2C channels on a limited budget, enabling Sharp Solar to strengthen its leadership position while maximizing growth in the U.S. solar electricity market, specifically within California—ground zero for the solar revolution.

Results Millions of impressions and thousands of subscribers later, the campaign accomplished its goals of educating consumers and setting the stage for a major integrated marketing campaign to drive sales.